Meet the Buyer x The Beehive

Our Meet the Buyer sessions are designed to connect passionate food entrepreneurs with potential customers, buyers, and/or category managers. Every month, we invite buyers from a wide range of sectors within the food industry, such as supermarkets, online retailers, hotel chains, wholesalers, and restaurant owners. These sessions offer exclusive sales opportunities, feedback, and/or professional connections that you won’t find anywhere else. In this session, we welcome De Bijenkorf Horeca!

About De Bijenkorf
De Bijenkorf is the most inspiring, creative, and sustainable department store, where everyone can feel special.
The Kitchen is their restaurant where different types of cuisines come together. Various cooking stations prepare dishes à la minute. The Kitchen can be found in their stores in Amsterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.
They feature various food stations, including: fish, wok, grill, Italian, sandwiches, juices, salads, savory and sweet pastries.

Requirements De Bijenkorf
– Their preferred supplier is Sligro, and they strongly prefer to source through them. Sometimes they may make an exception.
– New product additions that require minimal preparation in their kitchen; a good example is the Scandinavian buns fromLÄCKER.
– New beverages are always of interest.
– De Bijenkorf has noticed that their guests do not show a particular preference for plant-based options.
– They like the idea of giving “young” local entrepreneurs a platform at De Bijenkorf Amsterdam—for example, by providing them with a counter.

Who will you meet during this session?
Cindy Mulders – Operational Project Manager, Food & Restaurants
Ingrid van Thiel – Junior Business Partner, Hospitality

KR’s requirements:
– Be a member of the KR Community
– Arrive on time, with all materials prepared (tasting samples/presentation documents ready) and ready to pitch
– As space is limited and time is precious, please understand that KR and the guest buyer will select the most relevant food companies to meet during each session based on the buyer’s and companies’ focus.
– You can also leave your product(s) behind for the buyer; Kitchen Republic will collect your feedback.
–If you’re unable to attend, please let us know at least 12 hours in advance. If you do not cancel in time, you will not be included in the next selection round for an upcoming session.

Open to non-members: 2 spots available
In addition to our 10 Kitchen Republic members, we are offering 2 open spots for non-members working on high-impact themes such as innovation and sustainability. Read the briefing above, and if you think this might be a good fit, apply using the button below.
Selected non-members pay a participation fee—€500for this session—and receive guidance from our Community Manager to prepare for the pitch. The amount varies by session.
– Max. 2 sessions per year per company.
– You only pay if you’re selected and get the chance to pitch.
– You’ll receive all details via email after applying, and feel free to contact community@kitchenrepublic.nl if you have any questions.

How does it work?
– We offer 10-minute time slots per company. This might sound short, but it’s definitely long enough to make a lasting impression.
–Applications for this MTB session close on October 8. If selected, we will contact you the week before with details about your time slot.